A Trip to the Grocery Store

As far back as I can remember, one of the activities that my mother and I enjoyed doing a lot together was going to the grocery on a weekly basis to stock up on our food and household supplies.

I remember that my mother had certain brands in particular that she preferred over others. I really did not pay so much attention as to why she chose certain brands. All I knew back then was that the stuff she got turned into food for me to enjoy eating. That was the part of my childhood when I could roam about the grocery store, take one bag of potato chips, or a can of soda to enjoy during the drive home.

But as I got older, my mother began to teach me how to buy things at the grocery store. She told me that “You need to learn how to buy these things because you are old enough to go to the grocery store for me already if I need you to.”

To which I often replied, “But Mom! Only the names change. Bath soaps are all the same!” Then she would try to convince me that eventually I would setting up my own home and I would need to be making these decisions for myself so I needed to learn the rudiments now.

While she could still guide and advise me about it. Needless to say, no amount of explanations from my mother could convince me that I needed to be a discriminating buyer. At that age, I did not feel any need to learn about comparing products, getting the best buy, and spending within a food budget. Our cycle was really simple, I went with mom to the grocery store, I got the foodstuff that I liked or looked good and she took care of the rest.

As I began my high school education, mom started to give me a bit more responsibility when it came to purchasing items at the grocery store. She always kept it simple for me because she knew how I would just grab the first item on the shelf that related to the item she had listed down.

So mom always listed down the item and the specific brand name she wanted me to get. Each time she handed me the list she would tell me “Do me a favor and read the label of the other brands available. There might be a better product out there.”

Being a teenager at the time, all I had in mind was to get the errand done and go on with whatever other activities I had in mind for myself. So I never really bothered to read about the other similar items in those aisles. Little did I realize that the time would come when I would need to know about all those items in the aisles and how they compared to each other in price, quantity, and quality. I kind of took it for granted that whatever mom had listed down was the one I should purchase.

Then came time for me to spread my wings and move out of the house into an apartment of my own and keeping house for myself for the very first time. I would have to keep to a budget and decide upon grocery purchases by myself and for myself. Since I had no previous experience with going to a grocery store and buying my own stuff, I suddenly felt overwhelmed and scared.

The grocery store looked like a huge hangar to me and I was lost in a sea of products that all looked the same to me. But in the back of my mind I could still hear my mom telling me to “Read the labels and choose the best product for my money.“

I was not confident I could do that without the security of my mom’s grocery list with me that contained a list of all the necessary items and brands. I was worried by tried to convince myself in whispers that  “I can do this. How hard can it be to buy my food and supplies?”

I felt a cold sweat come over me as I wheeled my cart into the main shopping area. 6 different types of  fresh milk each carton looking better and saying something newer than the next. Rows upon rows of vegetables, the limitless canned foods, soap brands, fabric softeners… how could anybody make that choice immediately?

I decided that I needed back up and whipped out my cellular phone. I dialed a number and waited for the familiar voice over the answering machine to pick up. “Mom! Pick up the phone!” I hollered after the beep.

“I need your help!” It seemed like an eternity for my mom to pick up the phone. “What’s the matter?” her worried voice said. I told her my problem. I was stuck in the grocery store without her list and without a clue as to which items to buy. Could she please tell me what to get? I heard my mom sigh deeply before saying “You are on your own now. It is time for you to make your own choices in life. You don’t need my list. You just need to find out what things you like.

“ I tried to explain to her that I was not sure what things I liked because she always had that list for me to refer to. I really needed it at that moment. “Trust yourself.” she told me. “You will know which products you will be using regularly. It just takes a bit of time to develop the skill. Go with your instincts” As we ended the conversation, I was not sure if I could trust myself to make that choice. After all, I considered pizza with a liter of soda a healthy meal.

It took me 4 hours to shop for groceries that day. Without my moms list, I was forced to do what I never had to do before, compare products, learn to choose the best brand, and be comfortable for any mistakes in choices that I may have made.

But I realized that as I took the time to read the product labels and ponder upon my choices, I began feeling a sense of freedom and responsibility for myself. That phone call and trip to the grocery store made me realize that if I were to call myself an adult, I would now have to take charge of my life, make my own decisions, and learn to make wise choices. Nobody would be there to decide for me anymore.

Guess what? I have slowly evolved from that unsure person terrified of all the product choices out there who tried to get her mother to make a grocery list for her into a wise, budget-conscious shopper, and it makes me feel great!